Condiment bottle cover assembly

ABSTRACT

A condiment bottle cover assembly for inhibiting bacteria transmission between a user and a condiment bottle includes a sleeve that is positionable around a condiment bottle to inhibit a user from touching the condiment bottle. The sleeve is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit the transmission of bacteria between the user and the condiment bottle. An elastomeric band is coupled to the sleeve to bias the sleeve against the condiment bottle. In this way the sleeve is retained around the condiment bottle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to bottle cover devices and more particularly pertains to a new bottle cover device for inhibiting bacteria transmission between a user and a condiment bottle.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to bottle cover devices including a knit sleeve for a beverage container for thermally insulating the beverage container. The prior art also discloses a decorative sleeve for positioning around a variety of household objects. The prior art discloses a thermally insulating cover that has an opening therein for receiving the neck of a bottle. The prior art also discloses an absorbent bottle cover for absorbing condensation on a bottle. The prior art discloses a hand sanitizer bottle cover that conforms to the shape of a hand sanitizer bottle. The prior art discloses a condiment bottle cover that has a closed lower end. The prior art also discloses a panel that can be wrapped around a container.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a sleeve that is positionable around a condiment bottle to inhibit a user from touching the condiment bottle. The sleeve is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit the transmission of bacteria between the user and the condiment bottle. An elastomeric band is coupled to the sleeve to bias the sleeve against the condiment bottle. In this way the sleeve is retained around the condiment bottle.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a condiment bottle cover assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 4 thereof, a new bottle cover device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the condiment bottle cover assembly 10 generally comprises a sleeve 12 that is positionable around a condiment bottle 14 to inhibit a user from touching the condiment bottle 14. The condiment bottle 14 may be a ketchup bottle, a mustard bottle or any other type of condiment bottle that is commonly employed in a public restaurant or the like. Additionally, the sleeve 12 is comprised of a fluid impermeable material to inhibit the transmission of bacteria between the user and the condiment bottle 14.

The sleeve 12 has an upper end 16, a lower end 18 and an outer wall 20 extending therebetween. Each of the upper end 16 and the lower end 18 is open to accommodate a condiment bottle 14 with a greater length than the sleeve 12. Moreover, the outer wall 20 tapers inwardly between the lower end 18 and the upper end 16 such that the upper end 16 has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the lower end 18. Additionally, the outer wall 20 has an inside surface 22.

An elastomeric band 24 is provided and the elastomeric band 24 is coupled to the sleeve 12. In this way the elastomeric band 24 can bias the sleeve 12 against the condiment bottle 14 for retaining the sleeve 12 around the condiment bottle 14. The elastomeric band 24 is positioned on the inside surface 22 of the outer wall 20 and the elastomeric band 24 is positioned closer to the upper end 16 than the lower end 18. Additionally, the elastomeric band 24 extends around a full circumference of the outer wall 20. The elastomeric band 24 may comprise a textile that has elastic integrated therein.

In an alternative embodiment 26 as is most clearly shown in FIG. 4, the outer wall 20 has a cut 28 extending from the upper end 16 toward the lower end 18, and the cut 28 has a first bounding edge 30 and a second bounding edge 32. Continuing in the alternative embodiment 26, a closure 34 is coupled to the outer wall 20 of the sleeve 12. The closure 34 includes a first portion 36 that is coextensive with the first bounding edge 30 of the cut 28. The closure 34 includes a second portion 38 that is coextensive with the second bounding edge 32 of the cut 28. The first portion 36 releasably engages the second portion 38 for closing the cut 28. In this way the closure 34 can retain the sleeve 12 around the condiment bottle 14. The closure 34 may comprise a zipper or other similar type of releasable fastener.

In use, the condiment bottle 14 is inserted into the sleeve 12 prior to placing the condiment bottle 14 into service. In this way the sleeve 12 inhibits users from touching the condiment bottle 14 and potentially transferring bacteria to the condiment bottle 14. The sleeve 12 is removed from the condiment bottle 14 when the user has finished employing the condiment bottle 14 and a replacement sleeve 12 is positioned around the condiment bottle 14. In this way the transmission of bacteria between users is reduced without requiring the condiment bottle 14 to be sanitized between use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

1. A condiment bottle cover assembly comprising: a sleeve being positionable around a condiment bottle wherein said sleeve is configured to inhibit a user from touching the condiment bottle, said sleeve being comprised of a fluid impermeable material wherein said sleeve is configured to inhibit the transmission of bacteria between the user and the condiment bottle, wherein said sleeve has an upper end, a lower end and an outer wall extending therebetween, each of said upper end and said lower end being open wherein said sleeve is configured to accommodate the condiment bottle with a greater length than said sleeve, said outer wall tapering inwardly a full length between said lower end and said upper end such that said upper end has a diameter being less than a diameter of said lower end, said outer wall having an inside surface; and an elastomeric band being coupled to said sleeve spaced from said upper end of said sleeve, said elastomeric band being closer to said upper end than said lower end, wherein said elastomeric band is configured to bias said sleeve against the condiment bottle for retaining said sleeve around the condiment bottle.
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said elastomeric band is positioned on said inside surface of said outer wall.
 5. (canceled)
 6. A condiment bottle cover assembly comprising: a sleeve being positionable around a condiment bottle wherein said sleeve is configured to inhibit a user from touching the condiment bottle, said sleeve being comprised of a fluid impermeable material wherein said sleeve is configured to inhibit the transmission of bacteria between the user and the condiment bottle, said sleeve having an upper end, a lower end and an outer wall extending therebetween, each of said upper end and said lower end being open wherein said sleeve is configured to accommodate the condiment bottle with a greater length than said sleeve, said outer wall having an inside surface, wherein said outer wall has a cut extending from said upper end toward said lower end, said cut having a first bounding edge and a second bounding edge; and a closure being coupled to said outer wall of said sleeve, said closure including a first portion being coextensive with said first bounding edge of said cut, said closure including a second portion being coextensive with said second bounding edge of said cut, said first portion releasably engaging said second portion for closing said cut wherein said closure is configured to retain said sleeve around the condiment bottle.
 7. (canceled)
 8. (canceled) 